Saturday, September 16, 2017

Today's Pick of the Week hits four bases: Oktoberfest, beer, 'throwback,' and 'selfie.'

That's me (ungrammatical but colloquial) enjoying a Maßkrug (High German for liter stein) of Legend's Oktoberfest lager (redundant but didactic) outdoors at Legend Brewing Company, at its brewery in Richmond, Virginia, seven years ago, on the 4th of September, 2010. A liter comprises 33.81 U.S. ounces or more than two U.S. pints; a Maßkrugweighs about 5.5 U.S. pounds full. Despite my sober demeanor: giddy me!

The 'official' —and original Oktoberfest— begins today in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria in Germany. The celebration traditionally runs for sixteen days counting backward from the first Sunday in October. Since the 1990s, however, if the sixteenth day falls before 3 October (which is German Unity Day), the festival continues until and including the 3rd. Thus, Oktoberfest this year —the festival's 184th iteration— comprises a full eighteen days: 16 September through 3 October.

Munich's name, by the way, is derived from the Old German term Munichen, meaning "by the monks," after Benedictine monks who founded a monastery in what would later become the city. Trappist monks —a later, stricter, offshoot of the Benedictine order— would become known in the 20th-century Belgium for their iconic eponymous ales.

Beautiful color (reddish-amber), clarity, and head retention. Good toasted malt flavor with a hint of Juicy Fruit. Dry finish.

There is a connection between Einstein —yes, Albert Einstein— and Munich's Oktoberfest. Read more at YFGF.

To make better (and/or more accurate) renditions of Oktoberfest beers, American 'craft' brewers of the 2010s are looking to...German beers and German breweries for inspiration and collaboration. You think?